SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Chilly and snowy conditions will soon return, and KELOLAND’s Scot Mundt has predicted just how much will fall this season.

“Sioux Falls, just shy of 50 at 49.7 [inches],” Mundt said. “Aberdeen just north of 40 at 40-and-a-half. Both of those are above their average since 1950. Pierre will get around 31.7 and Rapid City at 46.3: both of those cities below their average since 1950.”

Mark Cotter, director of public works with the City of Sioux Falls, says the city began 2023 with roughly $10.1 million budgeted for snow removal. As video from January shows, Mother Nature had a lot in store.

“We’ve gotten the support of City Council to supplement that by just over $4 million, and so based on how November’s going and the whole near-term outlook of December, that’ll be sufficient funding to finish,” Cotter said.

2024 will bring a new budget.

“At the end of this year, we reset and go into the ’24 budget, and that’s about 11.6 million,” Cotter said. “But interesting, if you look back between 2020 to 2022 the average of what we’ve spent in those winters was about 7.3 million. And so we hope ’23’s an anomaly.”

While the city waits for snow, Cotter points out an easy way to get ready for its arrival.

“Make sure you sign up for text alerts,” Cotter said. “That’s really easy ’cause then you can get our plowing schedule as soon as it’s assigned.”